pimpin'

[Sarah Lang]

In the context of the CNN article, it seems unlikely that it was
friendly/neutral.

I think it could have been used in the sense of "Get out my way,
[you, who are drawing (unnecessary) attention to the situation]." OR
"Get out my way, [you, who are seemingly challenging me and have no
chance at winning.]"

One leans on the "pimped" as in "blinged" meaning; the other on trash-
talk (to be more specific it could be also referring to someone who
is trying to "trick" the other person).

My two cents,
S.

On Apr 6, 2007, at 12:20 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: pimpin'
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> It reminds me of two of my favorite SNL characters, Pimpin' Kyle and
> White Chocolate. In my day in Los Angeles, pimps didn't have colorful
> monikers. There was Blood, but his nom de rue was only a shortening of
> "young blood," a once-hip but innocuous form of address of literary
> origin that could be used in speaking to any random dude younger than
> the speaker. Otherwise, the players were simply known by their first
> names, as in the case of Tommy, a fellow Texas native. All 'ho's had
> "sporting names," but even these were all of the "Jane Doe" type, e.g.
> Eugenia "Gigi" Miner AKA "Vicky Miller."
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 4/4/07, Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at hotmail.com> wrote:
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: pimpin'
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----------
>>
>> As a hip white boy from rural Wisconsin, I've never heard this.
>>
>> Scot LaFaive
>>
>>
>>> From: "Bethany K. Dumas" <dumasb at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU>
>>> Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>> Subject: pimpin'
>>> Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:47:44 -0400
>>>
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>> -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       "Bethany K. Dumas" <dumasb at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU>
>>> Subject:      pimpin'
>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> -----------
>>>
>>> One reported detail of the gruesome murder scenario in Atlanta
>>> yesterday
>>> involved the suspect's words to a bystander/witness:
>>>
>>>> The suspect warned Williams, "Get out my way, pimpin'."
>>>
>>> My trash talk students informed me this morning that "pimpin'"
>>> was being
>>> used in the sense of "dude" and that this use is commonplace -
>>> and is
>>> neutral to positive in connotation. Jon, do you have this? Does
>>> this match
>>> others' observations?
>>>
>>> Bethany
>>>
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>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
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>
>
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